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I just received an e-mail from a colleague, Ken Fisher, with an article from the Seattle Times about Professional Development. It has several good reminders in regards to the importance of Professional Development.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2012377639_guest19teachers.html
The Institute for Excellence and Ethics (IEE) worked with the LaFayette School District, Bishop Grimes, and the Cathedral at Pompei to receive a grant of $21,3oo. to work with staff and parents during the 2010-2011 school year. The grant was awarded earlier this month and IEE will be working with all three schools this summer to prepare for next year.
The IEE Team all contributed to this successful grant. John and Lucia Cataldo played a key leadership role in the pursuit of this grant which was just over a six month process from beginning to end.
One of the exciting things about this grant is the opportunity we are going to have to work with parents and schools in our own community. We will keep our team informed as to the progress with this project. We are hopeful that the parent component will be someting that all of our team can benefit from in the future.
Food for thought…
The Science Students Need to Know: James Trefil and Wanda O’Brien-Trefil
“Science education is not just about training the next generation of scientists—it’s also about developing responsible citizens…we should judge the education that students receive in science on the basis of whether students will eventually become citizens who can meaningfully participate in the kind of debate that is the core process of our democratic system. They will [see] issues in which science is woven seamlessly into a rich tapestry that includes ethical, political, social, economic, and moral ideas, all of which form part of the debate.”
Educational Leadership: September 2009. (67)1
The Center for 4th & 5th Rs continues to make arrangements to host a visit during the coming school year by a team of 10 principals from Singapore who have learned about the Smart & Good work from our website and trainings that Tom Lickona has done in their country. They wish to study at the Center and visit elementary and secondary schools in central New York that have attended our Summer Institute and are implementing aspects of the Smart & Good Schools approach.
The 15th annual Summer Institute in Character Education, “Maximizing the Power of Character for Teaching and Learning,” hosted by the Center for the 4th and 5th Rs and IEE, was held June 29 – July 1 at the Sperry Center at SUNY Cortland. Over 140 teachers, administrators, and staff attended from 14 different states and 3 foreign countries (China, Nigeria, and Puerto Rico). General sessions were delivered by Michele Borba, Usha Balamore, Hal Urban, and our own Tom, Matt D., Rich and Phil. Matt C. provided valuable assistance with triad planning and discussion. Vlad, along with Mary Guilfoile, of The Glenholme School in CT, presented a session on Monday, “Using Data to Plan and Improve Your Character Education Program.” Eight different lunch-time workshops were offered on both Tuesday and Wednesday, and Vitamin L performed an upbeat, inspirational concert on Tuesday.
Tom did a Bonus Session on “Power to Parent,” Matt a Bonus Session on “Power to Coach.” All general sessions and several workshops were videotaped by students from Cortland High School’s Video Club. Dawn Van Hall of the College’s Sperry Center is making DVDs of the general sessions and the workshop by Vlad and Mary. The Center will send copies to each school team or individual that participated and will also upload videos of the sessions, the bonus sessions, and selected workshops onto our website.
I was reading Uncommon by Tony Dungy this summer just prior to the wedding of my daughter, Kim. I came upon this list at the end of Part II of his book (see previous blog post) and I thought it had some wonderful reminders for all of us.
During the time of thinking about walking my “baby” down the aisle on August 29th I found myself doing a lot of “self-study” in terms of this list. How did Joey and I do in building memories for our family? What kind of examples were we for my daughter? Did I show my girls how much I loved my wife by how I treated her? Was I careful about what I said and did? Did I write notes to my daughter to encourage and bless her? There are many other questions that came to mind and I certainly did not get a perfect score in each category. However, I am thankful to say that I can look back and be thankful that Joey and I as a team did take our parenting role very seriously. We realized that our example would be critical and would impact our daughter’s character and the kind of young man our daughter would choose to marry.
I am also blessed that I was able to generate a long list of great memories. I am thankful that I now have lots of additional memories from an amazing wedding weekend. The wonderful thing about building memories is that they can last so long and will impact our children and potentially their children. In the last Insider I finished by saying, “The priorities we set and the lives we live do indeed touch the next generation”. During my time of self-study this truth once again jumped out at me.
I am thankful to say that our daughter married a wonderful young man who truly loves her. We are thrilled to have added Dan Cammarata to our family. We are also blessed to have connected with Dan’s parents and grandparents. There are no guarantees today, but with Dan’s love for our daughter, and the example of positive marriages that both Dan and Kim had in their families we feel very good about the potential for their marriage to be a good one that impacts others in a positive way.
I encourage all of our Smart & Good Team to take the time to regularly do a “self-study” based on the list from Tony Dungy. It is a great place to start and you could obviously revise to make it even more relevant to you and your family. The investments you make in your marriage and children will pay great dividends.
1. Be a leader around your home, but lead for the benefit of your wife and children, not for your own benefit.
2. Give your wife breaks from her daily responsibilities.
3. Make memories.
4. Keep your vows sacred. Sometimes better comes after worse.
5. If you are not married, be careful in selecting a spouse. It is one of the most important decisions you will ever make.
6. Be present with your family-emotionally and physically.
7. Be careful what you say and do.
8. Write notes to your children.
9. Honor those in authority over you.
10. Be careful with the authority and influence you have been entrusted with.
Tony Dungy, Uncommon-Finding Your Path to Significance